Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L27/00—Spices; Flavouring agents or condiments; Artificial sweetening agents; Table salts; Dietetic salt substitutes; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L27/30—Artificial sweetening agents
  • A23L27/33—Artificial sweetening agents containing sugars or derivatives
  • A23L27/34—Sugar alcohols
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L19/00—Products from fruits or vegetables; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L19/09—Mashed or comminuted products, e.g. pulp, purée, sauce, or products made therefrom, e.g. snacks
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L2/00—Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor; Their preparation
  • A23L2/02—Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor; Their preparation containing fruit or vegetable juices
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L2/00—Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor; Their preparation
  • A23L2/52—Adding ingredients
  • A23L2/60—Sweeteners
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L21/00—Marmalades, jams, jellies or the like; Products from apiculture; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L21/10—Marmalades; Jams; Jellies; Other similar fruit or vegetable compositions; Simulated fruit products
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L27/00—Spices; Flavouring agents or condiments; Artificial sweetening agents; Table salts; Dietetic salt substitutes; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L27/30—Artificial sweetening agents
  • A23L27/33—Artificial sweetening agents containing sugars or derivatives
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L33/00—Modifying nutritive qualities of foods; Dietetic products; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L33/10—Modifying nutritive qualities of foods; Dietetic products; Preparation or treatment thereof using additives
  • A23L33/125—Modifying nutritive qualities of foods; Dietetic products; Preparation or treatment thereof using additives containing carbohydrate syrups; containing sugars; containing sugar alcohols; containing starch hydrolysates
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K8/00—Cosmetics or similar toiletry preparations
  • A61K8/18—Cosmetics or similar toiletry preparations characterised by the composition
  • A61K8/30—Cosmetics or similar toiletry preparations characterised by the composition containing organic compounds
  • A61K8/33—Cosmetics or similar toiletry preparations characterised by the composition containing organic compounds containing oxygen
  • A61K8/34—Alcohols
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K8/00—Cosmetics or similar toiletry preparations
  • A61K8/18—Cosmetics or similar toiletry preparations characterised by the composition
  • A61K8/30—Cosmetics or similar toiletry preparations characterised by the composition containing organic compounds
  • A61K8/33—Cosmetics or similar toiletry preparations characterised by the composition containing organic compounds containing oxygen
  • A61K8/34—Alcohols
  • A61K8/345—Alcohols containing more than one hydroxy group
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K8/00—Cosmetics or similar toiletry preparations
  • A61K8/18—Cosmetics or similar toiletry preparations characterised by the composition
  • A61K8/30—Cosmetics or similar toiletry preparations characterised by the composition containing organic compounds
  • A61K8/60—Sugars; Derivatives thereof
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61Q—SPECIFIC USE OF COSMETICS OR SIMILAR TOILETRY PREPARATIONS
  • A61Q11/00—Preparations for care of the teeth, of the oral cavity or of dentures; Dentifrices, e.g. toothpastes; Mouth rinses
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23V—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION
  • A23V2002/00—Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23V—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION
  • A23V2250/00—Food ingredients
  • A23V2250/60—Sugars, e.g. mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-saccharides
  • A23V2250/64—Sugar alcohols
  • A23V2250/6402—Erythritol

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a sweetener that contains erythritol as a main ingredient and is improved in quality of taste.
• the present invention also relates to an edible product or an oral care product containing the sweetener.
• the present invention further relates to a method for improving the quality of taste of a sweetener containing erythritol as a main ingredient.
• Sucrose is a sweetener excellent in quality of taste and is widely used as a main sweetener in foods and beverages. In recent years, however, it has been pointed out that excess intake of sucrose causes obesity and lifestyle-related diseases. Under such circumstances, low-calorie sweeteners as a sucrose alternative, which are intended for avoidance of obesity and lifestyle-related diseases, have been actively developed.
• erythritol Sugar alcohols, especially erythritol, are used as a very low-calorie sweetener instead of sucrose in many foods and beverages.
• Erythritol has disadvantages as compared to sucrose that it loses the taste too quickly after being taken, and that it leaves a peculiar bitter aftertaste. Consumers are familiar for years with the taste of so-called regular products containing sucrose or high fructose corn syrup, and they would not be satisfied with the quality of sweetness of erythritol alone.
• the degree of sweetness of erythritol is about 70% that of sucrose, erythritol is used in a larger amount than sucrose when being used as an alternative sweetener to sucrose.
• Erythritol has another disadvantage that it causes diarrhea when ingested in a large amount.
• Patent Document 1 discloses that combination use of erythritol with acesulfame potassium and aspartame provides high sweetness intensity and a sucrose-like quality of taste. The technique of Patent Document 1, however, does not satisfy the preference of consumers who are familiar with the quality of taste of sucrose and high fructose corn syrup.
• stevia is naturally derived and is slow in rise of sweetness, and can complement the too quick loss of taste that is a disadvantage of erythritol.
• stevia is often used in combination with erythritol.
• Stevia however, has peculiar bitterness similarly to erythritol. Accordingly, combination of stevia and erythritol still has the problem of bitterness and does not satisfy the preference of consumers.
• Patent Document 2 discloses a method for improving the taste of a diet beverage including a step of adding at least one non-nutritive sweetener, a sugar alcohol, and D-tagatose to a diet beverage. That is, in Patent Document 2, the quality of taste of erythritol and a high-intensity sweetener is improved by the addition of D-tagatose to a sweetener containing a sugar alcohol and a high-intensity sweetener.
• D-tagatose has a degree of sweetness comparable to that of D-psicose, it has an energy of about 1.5 kilocalories, and is not a zero-calorie sweetener but a low-calorie sweetener.
• the taste quality-improving effect on erythritol exerted by the addition of D-tagatose is not necessarily sufficient, and the content of D-tagatose relative to erythritol should be increased for obtaining the effect.
• D-tagatose 0.1% or more of D-tagatose is added to a beverage containing erythritol and a high-intensity sweetener, and the content of D-tagatose is about twice that of erythritol. That is, Patent Document 2 does not disclose a technique for improving the quality of sweetness of a sweetener containing erythritol as a main ingredient.
• Patent Document 3 discloses a D-psicose-containing low-calorie sweetener that is improved in quality of taste and that contains D-psicose as a main ingredient and also contains a sugar alcohol and/or a high-intensity sweetener.
• a sugar alcohol and/or a high-intensity sweetener is used in combination with D-psicose in order to solve the problems such as the delay in the rise of sweetness of D-psicose and the heavy taste due to high-volume use of D-psicose.
• Patent Document 3 employs a technique of limiting the amount of D-psicose when it is used as a main ingredient of a sweetener and complementing the insufficient sweetness with other sweeteners. Accordingly, Patent Document 3 does not disclose a technique for improving the quality of sweetness of a sweetener containing erythritol as a main ingredient.
• Patent Document 4 discloses a composition containing D-psicose and erythritol together with at least one other edible ingredient, and foods and beverages containing the composition. Patent Document 4 merely discloses that the quality of taste of a food that requires sweetness is remarkably improved by using a high concentration of D-psicose that is almost at the same level with erythritol. Similarly to Patent Document 3, Patent Document 4 does not disclose a technique for improving the quality of sweetness of a sweetener containing erythritol as a main ingredient.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a sweetener composition that contains erythritol as a main ingredient and exhibits a good aftertaste with suppressed bitterness, and an edible product or an oral care product containing the sweetener composition.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a sweetener composition that contains erythritol as a main ingredient and further contains a high-intensity sweetener (in particular, stevia), and exhibits a good aftertaste with suppressed bitterness, and an edible product or an oral care product containing the sweetener composition.
• the present inventors conducted diligent studies to solve the above-mentioned problems, and as a result, they found that a sweetener composition containing erythritol as a main ingredient and also containing a trace amount of D-psicose, that is, 0.27 to 7 parts by mass of D-psicose based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol, makes it possible to overcome the bitterness and bad aftertaste that are disadvantages of erythritol and dramatically improve the quality of taste.
• the present inventors also found that a sweetener composition containing erythritol as a main ingredient and further containing a high-intensity sweetener (in particular, stevia), and also containing a trace amount of D-psicose in the above-mentioned ratio makes it possible to suppress the bitterness which cannot be overcome by the conventional techniques and exhibit a good aftertaste.
• a sweetener composition containing erythritol as a main ingredient and further containing a high-intensity sweetener (in particular, stevia), and also containing a trace amount of D-psicose in the above-mentioned ratio makes it possible to suppress the bitterness which cannot be overcome by the conventional techniques and exhibit a good aftertaste.
• the present invention has been accomplished by further studies based on such finding. That is, the present invention provides the following aspects.
• Item 1 A sweetener composition containing erythritol as a main ingredient, and also containing 0.27 to 7 parts by mass of D-psicose based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol.
• Item 2 The sweetener composition according to item 1, further containing a high-intensity sweetener.
• Item 3 The sweetener composition according to item 2, wherein the high-intensity sweetener is stevia and/or a sweet component thereof.
• Item 4 The sweetener composition according to any one of items 1 to 3, which is intended for being added to an edible product so that the edible product contains 1 to 8% by mass of erythritol.
• Item 5 An edible product containing the sweetener composition according to any one of items 1 to 4.
• Item 6 The edible product according to item 5, which is a food or a beverage.
• Item 7 An oral care product containing the sweetener composition according to any one of items 1 to 4.
• Item 8 A method for improving quality of taste of a sweetener containing erythritol as a main ingredient, including adding, to a sweetener containing erythritol as a main ingredient, 0.27 to 7 parts by mass of D-psicose based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol.
• a sweetener composition containing erythritol as a main ingredient it is possible to suppress the bitterness and give a good aftertaste, and improve the unpleasant quality of taste of erythritol. Further, in the present invention, improvement in the quality of taste of a sweetener composition containing erythritol as a main ingredient is realized by the addition of a trace amount of D-psicose which has less than a sweetness threshold concentration in an edible refined product.
• erythritol as a main ingredient and further containing a high-intensity sweetener.
• a sweetener composition containing erythritol as a main ingredient and further containing a high-intensity sweetener.
• the sweetener composition of the present invention contains erythritol as a main ingredient, and also contains 0.27 to 7 parts by mass of D-psicose based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol.
• erythritol as a main ingredient
• D-psicose based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol.
• the sweetener composition of the present invention contains erythritol as a main ingredient.
• the phrase "contain erythritol as a main ingredient” means that the percentage of erythritol is the highest among all the sweetener components contained in the sweetener composition of the present invention. More specifically, the phrase means that the amount of erythritol in 100 parts by mass in total of the sweetener components contained in the sweetener composition of the present invention is 90 parts by mass or more, preferably 95 to 99 parts by mass, more preferably 96 to 98 parts by mass.
• the content of erythritol in the sweetener composition of the present invention is appropriately determined according to the form of the sweetener composition, and is, for example, 10 to 99% by mass. More specifically, when the sweetener composition of the present invention is in a liquid form, the content of erythritol is usually 20 to 99% by mass, preferably 50 to 95% by mass. When the sweetener composition of the present invention is in a solid form, the content of erythritol is usually 20 to 99% by mass, preferably 50 to 95% by mass.
• the sweetener composition of the present invention contains 0.3 to 3.4 parts by mass of D-psicose based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol contained as a main ingredient.
• Use of such a trace amount of D-psicose in combination with erythritol makes it possible to remedy the bitterness and bad aftertaste, which are disadvantages of erythritol, and to exhibit an excellent quality of taste.
• D-psicose used in the present invention any one of D-psicose purified from a natural product, D-psicose produced by an enzymological technique, D-psicose produced by chemical synthesis, and the like may be used. From the viewpoint of ease of production, D-psicose produced by an enzymological technique can be suitably used. In addition, D-psicose used in the present invention may be completely purified, or may contain a small amount of impurities.
• a method for producing D-psicose by an enzymological technique for example, a method of epimerizing the 3-position of D-fructose using an epimerase (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 6-125776 ) can be mentioned.
• a syrupy D-psicose product can be obtained by epimerizing the 3-position of D-fructose through an enzymatic technique to produce D-psicose, and then optionally purifying the produced D-psicose by a method such as deproteinization, decolorization, or desalting, followed by concentration.
• a purified product having a high purity of 99% or more can be obtained by subjecting the syrupy D-psicose product to column chromatography for fractionation and purification.
• D-psicose a commercially available product can also be used as the D-psicose.
• a commercially available product of D-psicose can be obtained, for example, from Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.
• D-psicose is contained in an amount of 0.27 to 7 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol. Since the D-psicose content in the sweetener composition of the present invention is extremely small, when the sweetener composition of the present invention is added to an edible product or an oral care product so that the sweetener composition has a sucrose-converted sweetness concentration of 2 to 15% by mass, the concentration of D-psicose is less than the concentration at which D-psicose exhibit sweetness alone (sweetness threshold concentration). Such a trace amount of D-psicose, however, suppresses the bitterness of the sweetener composition containing erythritol as a main ingredient, and makes it possible to give a good aftertaste.
• D-psicose can improve the quality of taste of erythritol in a trace amount of less than the sweetness threshold concentration as described above, whereas glucose does not exhibit such an effect.
• Fructose is an epimer of D-psicose and has a degree of sweetness about twice that of D-psicose, but can hardly improve the quality of taste of erythritol when used in a trace amount less than the sweetness threshold concentration.
• Tagatose is classified into rare sugars similarly to D-psicose, but can hardly improve the quality of taste of erythritol when used in a trace amount less than the sweetness threshold concentration as described above.
• the amount of D-psicose based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol is preferably 0.36 to 3.5 parts by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 3.0 parts by mass.
• the sweetener composition of the present invention may contain additional sweetener components as necessary.
• the additional sweetener components that can be blended in the sweetener composition of the present invention are not particularly limited as long as they are commonly used as a sweetener in foods and beverages, oral medicines, oral compositions and the like.
• high-intensity sweeteners sugar, glucose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, trehalose, tagatose, and sugar alcohols other than erythritol can be mentioned.
• These additional sweetener components may be used singly or in combination of two or more thereof.
• the high-intensity sweetener may be either a naturally derived sweetener or an artificially synthesized sweetener.
• the naturally derived high-intensity sweetener include extracts of plants such as stevia, Luo Han Guo, and Thaumatococcus daniellii (family Marantaceae), and sweet components contained in these plant extracts.
• Specific examples of the sweet component contained in the stevia extract include stevioside and rebaudioside A.
• Specific examples of the sweet component contained in the Luo Han Guo extract include Mogroside V.
• Specific examples of the sweet component contained in the Thaumatococcus daniellii extract include thaumatin.
• artificial high-intensity sweetener examples include aspartame, acesulfame K, sucralose (registered trademark), saccharin, and neotame. These high-intensity sweeteners may be used singly or in combination of two or more thereof.
• Stevia and/or a sweet component thereof has an advantage that it can complement more effectively the low sustainability of the quality of sweetness, which is a disadvantage of erythritol, because it is slow in rise of sweetness, but has a disadvantage that it is bitter similarly to erythritol, and enhances the bitterness when used in combination with erythritol.
• the sweetener composition of the present invention it is possible to sufficiently suppress the bitterness produced when erythritol and stevia and/or a sweet component thereof are used in combination, and consequently realize a remarkably excellent quality of taste.
• the content thereof may be appropriately set according to the type of the high-intensity sweetener used.
• the amount of the high-intensity sweetener is 0.2 parts by mass or more, preferably 0.5 to 2 parts by mass, more preferably 0.6 to 1 part by mass based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol.
• the sweetener composition of the present invention may contain, in addition to erythritol, D-psicose, and additional sweeteners added as necessary, various additives such as a taste component, an extender, an excipient, a diluent, a carrier, a perfume, a preservative, and an antioxidant as necessary.
• the form of the sweetener composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and the sweetener composition may be in a solid form such as a powder, a granule, and a tablet, or a liquid form such as an aqueous solution, an emulsion, and a suspension.
• the sweetener composition of the present invention is added as a sweetener to an edible product or an oral care product requiring sweetness.
• the sweetener composition of the present invention may be used alone as a sweetener or may be used in combination with a conventionally used sweetener.
• a conventionally used sweetener For example, when the sweetener composition is used as an alternative to part of a sweetener having calories such as sucrose and fructose, it is possible to reduce the calorie, diversify the sweetness by the combination with other sweeteners, and satisfy the diversified preference of consumers.
• the type of the edible product to which the sweetener composition of the present invention is added is not particularly limited as long as the product is ingested or taken orally.
• foods and beverages and oral medicines can be mentioned.
• seasonings such as soy sauce, powdered soy sauce, miso, powdered miso, moromi (fermented mash), hishio (fermented paste), sprinkles for rice, mayonnaise, dressing, vinegar, sanbaizu (vinegar, soy sauce and mirin mixed in roughly equal proportions), powdered sushi vinegar, Chinese soup, tempura sauce, noodle soup, sauce, ketchup, Korean barbecue sauce, curry roux, stew's ingredients, soup mix, Japanese-style broth, composite seasoning, mirin, mirin-like seasoning, table sugar, and coffee sugar; Japanese confectioneries such as rice cracker, cubic rice cracker, millet or rice cake, sticky rice cake, steamed bean-jam bun, uirou (sweet rice jelly paste), bean jam, adzuki-bean jelly, soft adzuki-bean jelly, Japanese agar jelly, jelly, castella sponge cake, and candy; Western confections such as soy sauce, powdered soy sauce, miso, powdered
• beverages including carbonated drinks such as cola, and soft drinks such as sports drinks, fruit juice drinks, milk drinks, and tea-based beverages are required to be reduced in calorie, and are particularly suitable as a target to which the sweetener composition of the present invention is added.
• sucrose-coated tablets examples include sucrose-coated tablets.
• Sucrose-coated tablets are widely used as medicines such as solid preparations, because they mask the taste and smell of chemicals by their sucrose coating layers at the surface and thus are easy to take and excellent in appearance, and also have a moisture prevention effect.
• a sucrose-coated tablet is produced by repeating the step of applying a sucrose solution to a tablet and drying the solution to complete the formation of a sucrose coating layer, adjusting the form of the tablet into an elliptical form, followed by glazing by the application of wax.
• a generally used sucrose solution for sucrose coating is a solution obtained by adding, to sucrose serving as a base, gelatin, gum arabic, polyvinyl pyrrolidone or the like as a binder to increase the strength of the sucrose coating layer of the sucrose-coated tablet. Powders such as talc, calcium sulfate, calcium phosphate, and precipitated calcium carbonate are also added as necessary.
• an oral medicine to which the sweetener composition of the present invention is added is an internal medicine containing a bitter component such as barium. Adding the sweetener composition of the present invention to such a bitter internal medicine makes it possible to mask the bitterness by the sweetness and make the medicine easy to take.
• oral care products examples include chewing gum, candy, tablet confectionery, film confectionery, toothpaste, liquid dentifrice, and mouthwash.
• oral care product refers to a product that is chewed in the mouth or used for rinsing the mouth.
• the oral care products may also include products classified as a food or beverage or an oral medicine.
• the concentration of the composition is appropriately set according to the type of the product to which the composition is added and the degree of sweetness to be imparted to the product. Specifically, a concentration at which the composition can impart sweetness equivalent to 2 to 15% by weight in terms of sucrose-converted sweetness concentration to an edible product or an oral care product can be mentioned.
• sucrose-converted sweetness concentration refers to the concentration of sucrose required to adjust the sweetness of a product to a level equal to the degree of sweetness imparted by the sweetener composition. In calculating the sucrose-converted sweetness concentration, the degree of sweetness of erythritol, D-psicose, and stevia relative to sucrose is 0.7, 0.7, and 350, respectively.
• the amount of the sweetener composition of the present invention added to the edible product or the oral care product is an amount at which the erythritol concentration in the edible product or the oral care product is 1 to 8% by mass, preferably 2 to 8% by mass, more preferably 2 to 7% by mass.
• erythritol When the above-mentioned amount of the sweetener composition of the present invention is added to an edible product or an oral care product, erythritol has a concentration in the product at which it exhibits sweetness alone, but D-psicose has a concentration in the product less than or equal to the sweetness threshold concentration, at which it does not exhibit sweetness alone.
• D-psicose has a concentration in the product less than or equal to the sweetness threshold concentration, at which it does not exhibit sweetness alone.
• the taste quality-improving method of the present invention is a method for improving the quality of taste of a sweetener containing erythritol as a main ingredient, and includes adding, to the sweetener, 0.3 to 3.4 parts by mass of D-psicose based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol.
• the content of erythritol in the sweetener containing erythritol as a main ingredient, the types of additional sweeteners which may be contained as necessary in the sweetener containing erythritol as a main ingredient, a preferable content of D-psicose, and the form of the sweetener containing erythritol as a main ingredient are as described in "1. Sweetener composition" above.
• the sweetener containing erythritol as a main ingredient further contains stevia and/or a sweet component thereof
• the combination of erythritol and stevia and/or a sweet component thereof can effectively suppress the produced bitterness.
• the taste quality-improving method can also be carried out as a method for suppressing the bitterness.
• the sweetness threshold concentration of D-psicose was measured according to the method described in Bulletin of the Faculty of Education, Utsunomiya University, No. 63, Part 1 (March 2013 ). Specific test methods are as follows.
• aqueous erythritol solution Part of a 15% by mass aqueous erythritol solution was substituted with D-psicose to prepare aqueous sweetener solutions having D-psicose concentrations gradually increased from 0% to 0.2%. In all of these aqueous sweetener solutions, the sucrose-converted sweetness concentration was unified to 10% by mass.
• aqueous sweetener solutions were ranked 0 to 5 in order from the lowest D-psicose concentration.
• the quality of taste of these aqueous sweetener solutions was evaluated by 9 trained panelists (designated as A to I in Table 3), and the rank of psicose concentration at which the taste quality-improving effect was exhibited was determined.
• compositions of the aqueous sweetener solutions, the rank of D-psicose concentration, and the evaluation results are shown in Table 2.
• the details of evaluation results of the panelists is shown in Table 3.
• Tables 2 and 3 it was found that addition of 0.27 parts by mass or more of D-psicose, based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol, to the aqueous sweetener solution suppressed the bitterness of erythritol, improved the aftertaste of the aqueous sweetener solution, and thus improved the quality of taste of the aqueous sweetener solution.
• the concentration of D-psicose was much lower than the sweetness threshold concentration of D-psicose (0.5% by mass).
• aqueous erythritol solution Part of a 22% by mass aqueous erythritol solution was substituted with D-psicose to prepare aqueous sweetener solutions having D-psicose concentrations gradually increased from 0% to 0.2%. In all of these aqueous sweetener solutions, the sucrose-converted sweetness concentration was unified to 15% by mass.
• aqueous sweetener solutions were ranked 0 to 6 in order from the lowest D-psicose concentration.
• the quality of taste of these aqueous sweetener solutions was evaluated by 10 trained panelists (designated as A to J in Table 5), and the rank of psicose concentration at which the taste quality-improving effect was exhibited was determined.
• compositions of the aqueous sweetener solutions, the D-psicose concentration ranking, and the evaluation results are shown in Table 4.
• the details of evaluation results of the panelists is shown in Table 5. From these results, it was confirmed that even when the sucrose-converted sweetness concentration was increased to 15%, addition of 0.27 parts by mass or more of D-psicose, based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol, to the aqueous sweetener solution sufficiently suppressed the bitterness of erythritol, improved the aftertaste of the aqueous sweetener solution, and thus improved the quality of taste of the aqueous sweetener solution.
• B 2 The bitterness is lost.
• C 3 The aftertaste is improved (the harsh taste is decreased).
• D 2 The harsh aftertaste is masked.
• E 3 The sweetness lasts.
• F 1 The sweetness is more intense and lasts.
• G 2 The aftertaste is improved.
• H 2 The aftertaste is improved and the sweetness is mellowed.
• I 1 The sweetness is mellowed.
• J 3 The sweetness is refreshing. Average of rank at which effect was exhibited: 2.1
• aqueous sweetener solutions having D-psicose concentrations gradually increased from 0% to 0.2%.
• sucrose-converted sweetness concentration was unified to 10% by mass.
• aqueous sweetener solutions were ranked 0 to 3 in order from the lowest D-psicose concentration.
• the quality of taste of these aqueous sweetener solutions was evaluated by 10 trained panelists (designated as A to J in Table 7), and the rank of psicose concentration at which the taste quality-improving effect was exhibited was determined.
• compositions of the aqueous sweetener solutions, the D-psicose concentration ranking, and the evaluation results are shown in Table 6.
• the details of evaluation results of the panelists is shown in Table 7. From the results in Tables 6 and 7, it was confirmed that even in the case of an aqueous erythritol solution containing stevia as a high-intensity sweetener, addition of 0.27 parts by mass or more of D-psicose, based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol, to the aqueous sweetener solution sufficiently suppresses the bitterness, and makes it possible to exhibit an excellent aftertaste.
• a sweetener composition consisting of erythritol and stevia (erythritol: stevia weight ratio was 150 : 1) was prepared. Moreover, six sweetener compositions were prepared by substituting part of erythritol and stevia in the sweetener composition with D-psicose. These sweetener compositions were ranked 0 to 5 in order from the lowest D-psicose content.
• a soft drink was prepared by adding each sweetener composition so as to have a sucrose-converted sweetness concentration of 10% by mass.
• Each soft drink contained 0.01% by mass of citric acid, 0.01% by mass of sodium citrate, and 0.1% by mass of perfume, and had concentrations of erythritol, stevia, and D-psicose as shown in Table 8.
• the quality of taste of these soft drinks was evaluated by 10 trained panelists (designated as A to J in Table 9), and the rank of psicose concentration at which the taste quality-improving effect was exhibited was determined.
• compositions of the soft drinks, the D-psicose concentration ranking in the sweetener compositions used, and the evaluation results are shown in Table 8.
• the details of evaluation results of the panelists is shown in Table 9. From the results in Tables 8 and 9, it was confirmed that addition of 0.27 to 7 parts by mass of D-psicose based on 100 parts by mass of erythritol to a beverage containing a sweetener composition, that contains stevia and erythritol, at a concentration of 10% by mass in terms of sucrose-converted sweetness concentration sufficiently suppresses the bitterness, and makes it possible to exhibit an excellent aftertaste.
• the sourness is emphasized.
• B 1 The sourness is suppressed
• C 3 The sweetness is refreshing.
• D 1 The sourness is emphasized.
• E 1 The aftertaste is refreshing.
• F 1 The aftertaste is refreshing.
• G 1 The sweetness is refreshing and the sourness is emphasized.
• H 2 The sweetness and sourness are diminished.
• I 1 The sourness is mellowed.
• J 1 The aftertaste is refreshing. Average of rank at which effect was exhibited: 1.3
• a carbohydrate-free psicose-containing jelly that contained, as sweeteners, erythritol, stevia, and D-psicose at a concentration less than the sweetness threshold concentration and that had the composition shown in Table 10 was prepared.
• a control jelly was prepared without adding D-psicose, and setting the sucrose-converted sweetness concentration to the value same as that of the psicose-containing jelly.
• a blind taste test by 10 panelists was conducted, and the panelists were asked to choose the one that was superior in quality of taste.
• a carbohydrate-free psicose-containing mango sauce that contained, as sweeteners, erythritol, stevia, and D-psicose at a concentration less than the sweetness threshold concentration and that had the composition shown in Table 11 was prepared.
• a control mango sauce was prepared without adding D-psicose and setting the sucrose-converted sweetness concentration to the value same as that of the psicose-containing mango sauce.
• a blind taste test by 10 panelists was conducted, and the panelists were asked to choose the one that was superior in quality of taste.
• a carbohydrate-free psicose-containing cola drink that contained, as sweeteners, erythritol, stevia, and D-psicose at a concentration less than the sweetness threshold concentration and that had the composition shown in Table 12 was prepared.
• a control cola drink was prepared without adding D-psicose and setting the sucrose-converted sweetness concentration to the value same as that of the psicose-containing cola drink.
• a blind taste test by 10 panelists was conducted, and the panelists were asked to choose the one that was superior in quality of taste.
• a carbohydrate-free psicose-containing lime-flavored carbonated drink that contained, as sweeteners, erythritol, stevia, and psicose at a concentration less than the sweetness threshold concentration and that had the composition shown in Table 13 was prepared.
• a control lime-flavored carbonated drink was prepared without adding D-psicose and setting the sucrose-converted sweetness concentration to the value same as that of the psicose-containing lime-flavored carbonated drink.
• a blind taste test by 10 panelists was conducted, and the panelists were asked to choose the one that was superior in quality of taste.
• a carbohydrate-free psicose-containing fruit juice drink that contained, as sweeteners, erythritol, stevia, and psicose at a concentration less than the sweetness threshold concentration and that had the composition shown in Table 14 was prepared.
• a control fruit juice drink was prepared without adding psicose and setting the sucrose-converted sweetness concentration to the value same as that of the psicose-containing fruit juice drink.
• a blind taste test by 10 panelists was conducted, and the panelists were asked to choose the one that was superior in quality of taste.

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